Question

A blazing spike of a 0.290-kg volleyball is blocked at the net. It is originally traveling at 18.3 m/s and

bounces straight back at 14.9 m/s after being in contact with the blockers arms for a total of 18.2 ms.
( milli sec). What average force did the blocker exert on the ball?

Answer 1

To determine the average force exerted on the volleyball, we use the impulse-momentum theorem, resulting in an average force of approximately 529 Newtons exerted by the blocker.

Step-by-step explanation:

To find the average force exerted by the blocker on the volleyball, we can use the following physics concepts: Newton's second law and the impulse-momentum theorem. According to these principles, the impulse experienced by the volleyball is equal to the change in momentum the volleyball undergoes as it is blocked.

(Impulse) = (Final Momentum) - (Initial Momentum)

Since impulse is also the product of average force and the time interval during which the force is applied, we can write:

(Average Force) * (Time) = (Mass) * (Final Velocity) - (Mass) * (Initial Velocity)

Substituting the given values, we get:

(Average Force) * (0.0182 s) = (0.290 kg) * (-14.9 m/s) - (0.290 kg) * (18.3 m/s)

Notice that the velocity after is negative because it is in the opposite direction as the initial velocity. We can now solve for the average force:

(Average Force) = (0.290 kg) * (-14.9 m/s - 18.3 m/s) / (0.0182 s)

(Average Force) = (0.290 kg) * (-33.2 m/s) / (0.0182 s)

(Average Force) ≈ -0.529 kg*m/s2

The negative sign indicates the force is exerted in the opposite direction of the initial motion, which is what we expect for a block. The magnitude of the force is therefore around 529 Newtons.